This application is related to copending applications Ser. No. 833,225, filed Feb. 10, 1992, Ser. No. 833,194, filed Feb. 10, 1992, and Ser. No. 000,303, filed Jan. 4, 1993.
This invention relates to a method of forming a flexible connector from a plurality of sheets.
Flexible connectors formed from a plurality of metallic sheets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,232. The connectors are configured to flex to provide vibration isolation and damping between components, for example, in a cryocooled superconducting magnet. The connectors are formed from a plurality of metallic sheets configured to behave independently of each other to provide flexibility with minimized stiffness. The metallic sheets are joined together to act as a coordinated body by welding preselect sections of the sheet edges together.
For example, in the '232 patent a stack of about 25 copper sheets, each about 0.005 inch thick, is formed into a U or V shaped connector. The stack of sheets is bent around a thin steel plate, and the upper ends of the U or V shaped laminated body are welded together to form the flexible connector.
An aspect of this invention is to provide a simple method for forming such flexible connectors with a high degree of alignment of the sheet edges for forming a strong joint.